Neither plant nor animal nor fungus, Dictyostelium discoideum is a cellular slime mould, a microscopic amoeba that normally lives independently in the soil, eating decaying vegetation, fungi and bacteria, and helping to maintain the balance of microflora. What makes it fascinating is its ability to turn from a single-celled organism into a multi-cellular body: when there isn’t enough food or temperatures become too low, the microscopic cells swarm together to form a single, slug-like – and often brightly coloured – blob. This blob moves towards warmth and light, sometimes harvesting bacteria from one place and carrying it to a more suitable location. When ready to reproduce, it shape-shifts into a plant-like structure with a stalk, which lifts a spore head high enough for spores to be scattered for germination. The slime mould’s ability to live as both an individual and communal organism is of interest to biologists studying organ and tissue development.

Healthy people in a healthy environment

Good health and well-being require a clean and harmonious environment where physical, psycho - logical, social and aesthetic factors are all given their due importance. These factors are affected by actions and choices which can secure considerable health benefits. The environment is thus not only important for its own sake, but as a resource for better living conditions and well-being.

What we’ve agreed: the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Millennium Development Goals

Green savings

What young people want

Water – the key to life

The air we breathe

Safer, quieter towns and cities of the future – reclaiming the streets